Shifting
by needdl
Summary: The process of shifting was generally very complicated. It involved changing the caster's entire essence into a new physical form, all the while hanging on to the magical and spiritual traits that formed their soul. Many shape-shifters lost themselves in the process. Tenten was a well-seasoned veteran, but she had an added difficulty of keeping their child safe.
1. Chapter One

A (very) late submission to week two nejitenmonth on tumblr… sorry y'all. but hey it's here now, and i've got three chapters already and i'm looking at one more at least.

this is a short story set in the magic au that i've been "writing" only get this! this is technically a behind-the-scenes to the _sequel_ of the au! i'm writing short stories based on the _sequel_ i already have in mind based on a story i haven't even written yet! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Anyway, i do not own naruto. please note this story has a high T rating, borderline M.

* * *

Neji didn't even know that a person _could_ read angrily, but Tenten had always been good at surprising him.

Cautiously, he slid into the bed next to her. Most of the time her anger wasn't directed at him- in fact, very often she would seek him out to make her feel better (thought of course she would deny it vehemently)- but in the few occasions her anger had no palpable cause, he always preferred to tread lightly.

Tenten ignored him for a few moments, before throwing her scroll to the side and demanding, "I'm not moving _that_ much slower, right?"

Neji frowned. "Moving slower…? Tenten, were you trying to spar with Gai-sensei again?"

"...No."

"You know that at this point in your pregnancy we agreed you would stop."

"I changed my mind." Moodily, she kicked the scroll off the bed. "It seems like all anyone will let me do is eat and sleep and sit demurely." She raised her eyes to meet his, something more vulnerable showing in her gaze.

"I'm just so sick of it."

Neji's face tightened, and he felt a stab of remorse for what Tenten had been subjugated to ever since she married into the Hyūga Clan. More than once, he'd caught her baring her teeth in a dangerous smile as someone told her that motherhood would make her settle down, make her stop wanting to fight at the Hyūga Priestess's side on the front lines any longer.

The very notion of such a concept only proved to him that Tenten would never be understood by his clan, and likely would never conform to their traditions. She was naturally restless, was constantly on the move. A lifetime spend traveling would not be stifled or cast aside on behalf of parenthood. It would be to Tenten like discarding a part of herself.

He would never ask her to do such a thing, and she knew it. Sometimes he thought it was one of the few things that allowed her to endure such long stretches of time spent in a single city, in a single Compound. To him, she was free to leave, as long as she always came back. And she always did.

Instead of verbalizing the sentiment, he reached out and clasped his hand around Tenten's, tilting his head to rest against hers.

Tenten took the gesture for the silent support he meant it to be, and slid into his embrace with a sigh. Her belly pressed against his abdomen, and he shifted his arm down to press gently against it.

Under his palm, their child fluttered in movement. Tenten made a small sound in the back of her throat and moved her hand to cover his.

"Baby won't do that when I want to impress Lee and Gai, but will do it for you with no prompting. Figures."

"What can I say? I'm very charming."

"See, now _that_ was a good joke."

Neji let out a long-suffering sigh and bent his neck to kiss her temple. She had other ideas, instead reaching to cup his jaw and meet his lips with her own. She opened her mouth and kissed him lazily, but with purpose.

Before Neji quite knew what was happening, he was on his back with Tenten straddling his waist, looking pleased but breathless. He raised a brow and put his hands to her hips, commenting dryly, "Now what will you do?"

"I hadn't worked that part out quite yet. Surprised I made it this far, to be honest."

Neji smirked slightly. "If I may make a suggestion." Neatly, he undid the tie of her yukata and she shrugged it off, the fabric pooling over her legs.

He took in her exposed skin with as neutral an expression as he could. "No breast band today?"

She huffed in exasperation. "They're too much work to put on, plus my breasts got bigger and I outgrew my old ones."

"I see," Neji said, already lifting his hands. "I'd better confirm that for myself."

* * *

Tenten eventually decided that the best way to prevent her from killing one of his relatives was to take a final vacation away before she gave birth. He was slightly wary about that particular plan.

"Tenten, you're due very soon, wouldn't it be better to remain where you can get immediate medical attention? Besides, we need to pack." With the imminent arrival of their child, their rooms were not spacious enough anymore. They had been planning on relocating to a set of rooms large enough to hold a nursery.

Tenten didn't seem too bothered by the idea."Sure, sure, sure, we could do that, or you and I could go to a hot springs resort and love up on each other before little Hyūga shows up."

Neji paused with his mouth still open in protest. Frankly, it was a sorely tempting idea. Within the Hyūga Compound, their rooms had a tendency to be entered at any time by relatives- Hanabi in particular dropped by unexpectedly. She adored her Tenten-obasan, and was positively vibrating with excitement at the thought of their baby.

She'd had an uptick in the frequency of her "surprise" visits as Tenten's due date got closer, and while Neji appreciated his cousin's earnest enthusiasm, some private seclusion with his wife would not be remiss.

"Fine," he sighed. "But someplace close."

Tenten snorted. "You're so long-suffering," she said. "As if you're not about to go on a sex-cation."

"You're practically on bedrest, Tenten."

"Uhh, yeah. _Sexy_ bed rest."

He stared at her for a minute. "How can it be that your libido is so high _now,_ when you can barely move? Earlier in your pregnancy you'd smack me if I so much as touched you."

She grinned mischievously. "What can I say? Hormones are a beautiful thing."

* * *

A few days later, he and Tenten made their careful way to a hot spring located a small distance away from Konoha. Much to Neji's aggravation, Tenten insisted on walking for most of the way there, refusing even an enchanted cart.

However, there was something to be said about the entertainment value of watching Tenten waddle determinedly on, hands hiked up to rest on her lower back, brows lowered and mouth scrunched in a stubborn pout.

"Stop laughing at me," she called over her shoulder.

He grinned. "I can't help it if you're the most stubborn, ridiculous person in Konoha."

"Ugh." Tenten stopped short, out of breath. She surveyed the hillside they were about to descend, looking thoughtful. "What if I shifted?"

Involuntarily, his eyes flicked to her protruding belly. He frowned. "Have you shifted while you were pregnant?"

"Yes, but it was so early that I didn't even know yet." She smoothed her hand over her abdomen. "I'm going to try it. We're close enough to the resort that I'm sure it will be fine."

He nodded guardedly. She gave him a sweet, reassuring smile and closed her eyes in concentration. In the next few seconds she shifted into a dhole.

The process of shifting was generally very complicated. It involved changing the caster's entire essence into a new physical form, all the while hanging on to the magical and spiritual traits that formed their soul. Many amateur shape-shifters lost themselves in the process. Tenten was a well-seasoned veteran, but she had an added difficulty of keeping their child safe.

She stood still for a few seconds in her new form. He had seen her shift before, and her form was nearly the same except for its obvious pregnancy. Finally, she let out a soft whuff and trotted forward to brush against his legs. He took it as a sign of reassurance, and the two of them continued walking, this time at a faster pace.

Just before their arrival at the hot springs resort, Tenten shifted back into her human form. She stretched her arms with a happy sigh. "That was nice."

Neji pulled clothing out of their bag and passed it to her. "Is everything…"

She patted her belly. "It's all fine. I actually kept all the baby stuff human, and avoided that conundrum entirely."

He raised his brows, impressed. That must have taken a particular amount of concentration and skill.

Tenten hummed happily to herself as she pulled on her _yukata._ In some cases, shifters could keep their human clothes in a separate space as they shifted, and then turn back fully clothed. However, Tenten had been concentrating on keeping herself and her child as safe as possible, and likely chosen to disregard it as inconsequential.

Fully clothed, Tenten drew his face down and kissed him firmly for a few seconds before stepping back and giving him a wild grin. He softened at her obvious giddiness. Clearly this was what she had needed.

"All right. Let's go check in!"

* * *

Tenten slid into the water with a happy sigh. At Neji's inquiry, they had been directed to one of the cooler springs, where Tenten would be more comfortable. It had an added benefit of being nearly empty as most of the clientele went to the hot springs, so the two of them were in private.

Tenten tilted her head back to rest over the back of her seat. After a moment of consideration, she turned her neck to look at him.

"You know what would be really fun?"

Neji raised a brow. "What."

"Giving me a back rub." She gave him a cheesy smile, her eyes looking impossibly dark and soulful. He gave her a flat look, despite knowing he was going to cave. Immediately. He always did, and they both knew it. At his point putting up any front of resistance was only for his dignity's benefit.

Tenten turned around, and he pressed his fingers firmly into the muscles between her neck and shoulders. She instantly sagged against him, rolling her shoulders slightly with a quiet sigh.

They spent over two hours in the spring before returning to their rooms for the evening and ordering a tray of food to be brought up.

At Neji's suggestion (insistence), they ate by candlelight, their fingers entwined except for every half a minute when Tenten would pull her hand back in order to shovel food into her mouth faster.

Eventually she grew sick of the repeated motions. "Let's make this simple," she announced. She walked around the table and nestled into his side. "There. Cuddling plus eating. My two greatest pleasures. Except for later tonight, ha!"

Neji paused mid-bite, then slowly continued to eat, his face turning pink. Tenten laughed. "You're such a blushing virgin. We've very clearly had sex before, my love."

"There's a difference in speaking so openly about it-"

"Open- what do you mean _openly_? It's just the two of us here."

Neji ignored her, focused on his rice as his face darkened. Tenten snorted.

"You Hyūgas. Always with the blushing."

"I have fair skin," Neji said primly.

"Yes, I can see all of your veins. I know exactly where to cut you to get you to bleed out fastest."

"You knew that already anyway."

"Aw. You always know just what to say."

* * *

They took their time returning to the Hyūga Compound three days later, neither of them really willing to return to the real world. Just out of sight of the gates, Neji drew Tenten aside and kissed her firmly.

"I love you," he told her intensely. "I know that living with my family is hard for you, and it means everything to me that you do it."

Tenten kissed him again. "It's what you do when you love someone. You support them."

Neji thought of his father, writhing on the ground, clutching his skull, of Hinata whimpering over her broken hands, of the seriousness that was already etched into Hanabi's face. "Not always."

She tenderly pressed her lips to his forehead. "It's what _I_ do. An it's what _you_ do. And it's what our child will do."

* * *

Three steps back into Konoha, Tenten had her first contraction.


	2. Chapter Two

**chapter two! i had words to say about it but i forgot all of them, so.**

* * *

Neji knew that his hastily scrawled note to Hinata would not address all of his cousin's questions, but he lacked the inclination to write out a more detailed explanation, too anxious to return to his family's side.

 _His family._ The word had a new meaning now, shifted from grim, white-eyed faces and constant, crushing expectations to narrow in on the tiny, unbelievably important human sleeping in the next room with her mother resting beside her.

Resting, and watching the actions of the midwives with a wary gaze. Neither he nor Tenten trusted them not to whisk their daughter away to the scrutiny of the Hyuga Clan Elders.

She was mere hours old, still red-faced and furious to be in this unfamiliar world. The Clan could not claim her yet, and if he and Tenten had their way, they never would.

He entered the room silently, taking in the drawn curtains and enchanted _koto_ that was playing a low melody. Neji crossed to where his daughter was asleep, her face pinched and hands curled into fists. She looked particularly unhappy, and amid his exhaustion- it had been a long labor- he felt some amusement that she was already showing the same strong-headed traits of her parents.

Tenten, who had visibly relaxed once he'd entered the room, shifted further into her bed. She yawned widely and her teeth seemed to glint in the dim lighting. Everything about Tenten seemed sharp to him, even now after she had become a mother.

Tenten stirred slightly and spoke in a voice slurred with tiredness. "She's ugly."

Neji couldn't help the laugh that burst through him, causing one midwife to throw him a dark look as his daughter stirred at the sound. "She'll get cuter."

"Mm. Given her father's traits, I suppose that's an inevitability." She yawned again, reaching out blindly to tug him onto her bedside and down towards her.

"Make everyone leave," she murmured, disguising the action with a soft press to his cheek. He nodded minutely in understanding, smoothing his fingers over the creases of exhaustion lining her eyes.

When he returned from sending the midwives and Healers away- much to their displeasure, but the anger showing in his stance had scared off the more easily intimidated and the rest had eventually followed- Tenten was rolled slightly onto her side, one hand reaching down to rest next to their daughter as she watched her sleep.

He slipped into the bed next to her. Her waist and belly seemed to give in a shocking amount under the light pressure of his hand, after months spent spanning over skin stretched tight, feeling the flutters and thumps of their daughter as she constantly moved. He'd told Tenten, early in the pregnancy, that their child would crave restless freedom the same way she did, because she was never still.

(Tenten had pressed a careless kiss to his palm in response, then asked him to please, please go get her some more _daifuku_ , and would he please prop the door to the outside open on his way out so she could feel the breeze?)

(He did both, to her beaming pleasure.)

Now, their daughter lay still except for tiny breaths and the movement of her hands as her fingers moved in her sleep.

Tenten rolled back over to rest her back against his chest, eyes slipping closed as she finally allowed herself to sleep with their daughter secure under his watch. Neji pressed a lingering kiss to the top of her head before tucking her under his chin as he turned his gaze to where his child slept in the world for the very first time.

The next day, they napped until well into the afternoon, waking only to care for their daughter and themselves. It was not until after lunch that Tenten shook off her lingering lethargy and went to use the washbin they'd brought into their room, scrubbing herself down and slowly stretching.

Neji watched her mutely from where he sat cradling their daughter, stroking the soft dome of her head as she slumbered quietly. She'd been an easy sleeper so far, sleeping for long stretches through the night and day.

She had opened her eyes a few times now, never for very long. Her irises, when they had peeked through her sparse eyelashes, had been silver, which elated and terrified them both.

"We still need to name her," Tenten murmured, walking up to him and bending to press a soft kiss first to their daughter's round cheek, then his hand. She straightened back up and made a face, a hand moving to rest on her lower abdomen.

Neji was instantly concerned, reaching with one hand to offer her support. "Are you all right?"

She waved him off. "Just sore. I had a baby yesterday, you know."

Neji had a brief moment to recall the low, pained noises that had come from his wife almost involuntarily, and the terrifying moment when the room had fallen completely silent before the wail of a newborn could be heard.

He raised his eyes to meet Tenten's. "Yes, I do recall."

Their daughter stirred in his arms with a whimper that quickly escalated into a full-grown cry. "I bet she's hungry," Tenten said over the noise.

Neji made a small noise of assent. "Go get comfortable and I'll hand her to you."

He bobbed her slightly to calm her as Tenten settled into their rocking chair, pillows propped around her. "All right. Give me the baby." She paused, lips lifting in a smirk. "Although technically you already did."

" _Tenten._ Don't be so inappropriate."

"She's _one day old_. She can barely even poop, much less hear. She's fine."

"We need to start cutting out that type of language now, so when she's old enough to understand it-"

"For heaven's sake, my baby is starving and you're trying to have a conversation with me about sex jokes."

Neji huffed and settled their daughter in her arms. The room fell silent as she nursed, a tiny fist wrapped around Tenten's finger.

Neji watched the two of them quietly. An overwhelming feeling rose in his chest at the picture they made, Tenten gazing down tenderly at their child. She glanced at him and gave him a confused but gentle smile. "What is it?"

He shook his head, the feeling settling into his lungs and heart. "Nothing. I just… I never truly believed I could have something like this."

Tenten gave him a soft look, reaching out a hand to him and twining their fingers together. "Well, you're stuck with us now, sucker."

Neji laughed quietly and leaned down to kiss her, carefully moving around their daughter as he cupped Tenten's face in his hand. He felt a small hand thump against his ribs and stood back to stare at his daughter. She glared back, throwing out her hand again to hit against his abdomen, then Tenten's collarbone.

Tenten laughed. "Well, she certainly has _your_ attitude."

Neji frowned, affronted. " _My_ attitude? Which of us pulled out a bo staff on a visiting diplomat for a single, mildly catty remark?"

She rolled her eyes dismissively. "I was pregnant-"

"Tenten, in the very first week we met, you held a kunai to my neck and told me that if I didn't fuck off you'd castrate me."

She lowered her face next to their daughter's so their cheeks squished together. "Well, aren't we so glad that I didn't?"

"Very." He leaned down and blew a raspberry on both their cheeks. Tenten snickered, and their daughter kicked a leg and screwed up her face.

Tenten laughed and brought her back down to be cradled in her arms. "Oh, she did not like that." She bobbed her up and down gently. "Did you, my ugly girl?"

"Stop calling her ugly."

"I'll stop calling her ugly when she stops being ugly. Until then, nothing but the facts."

Neji turned away with a sigh. Absently, he straightened the blankets on their bed and surveyed the rest of the room. Between their bed, dresser, his desk, and now the rocker and their daughter's bassinet, their room was getting quite cramped.

Ideally, they'd have another week and a half or so to pack everything away and settle into their new rooms, but their daughter's early arrival had thrown them off their plan. Even so, most of their non-vital items were packed away and sitting in their new home, awaiting their eventual arrival.

Behind him, Tenten cooed softly over the baby, a sound that she would be sure to deny ever came out of her. Neji turned back towards them and asked, "What do you want for lunch? I'll send an order to the kitchens."

"Mm, no, not the kitchens." Tenten frowned thoughtfully. "I want crap ramen from Ichiraku's."

"Don't say 'crap'. And seriously? _Ramen?_ "

"Yep." Tenten grinned. "Oh! With sake!"

"That is the most ridiculous thing I've heard in my life."

"Well, you're welcome for gifting that to you." She threw a rag over her shoulder and began burping the baby firmly. "Go on, lover. You can get herring soba for yourself. Now that my pregnancy is over, maybe it won't make me nauseous."

"And what if it does?"

"Then I'll eat outside while you watch her. C'mon, Neji."

"Fine." He pressed a kiss to her mouth and straightened. "I think Hiashi and Hanabi will want to stop by soon. Are you willing to see them after lunch?"

"That's fine." With an urp, their daughter spewed all across her shoulder. "Aww, how cute. Just like her father."

"I have never thrown up on you."

"That you _know_ of. You've gotten pretty drunk at some festivals before."

"I would remember if I-"

"Weren't you getting lunch?" She smacked his rear. "Get going."

* * *

True enough, Tenten was fine around his soba, and munched away happily at her ramen as he ate quietly next to her, their daughter in her bassinet. She'd had a single sip of sake before pulling a face and dumping it back in the _tokkuri_.

She ate her ramen and broth before "helping" him finish off the last few bites of his soba. She threw him an impish grin as she did so, and he couldn't help but press a kiss to the dimple that formed with the expression.

After lunch, they continued packing away their clothes, leaving only a few essentials and all of their baby gear. Tenten was highly irritated by Neji's habit of nudging her away from anything that would be laborious to lift.

She threw an errant teacup at his head. "Cut that out! I can handle this!"

He prodded at the shards with his toe, examining them. "That was part of the set that Gai-sensei got us."

"That particular set hasn't been doing very well, I'm afraid. Somehow they keep getting broken. It's the strangest thing. It's like that obnoxious green color makes the floor just call to them."

Neji looked up with a laugh, but cut it off short at the sight of Tenten edging back towards the boxes with a furtive look in her eye.

"Tenten!"

She whirled to face him, hands in the air in nonchalance. "Nothing!"

He opened his mouth to- well, not exactly reprimand her, that implied a certain authority over her and neither of them would ever tolerate that- to point out the very real dangers that accompanied her straining herself, but outside their rooms there was the rapid thumping of bare feet on _tatami_ mats, which cut off abruptly just in front of the entrance.

The _shoji_ cracked open, and a set of silver eyes peered in, looking sheepish. "Sorry," Hanabi said in a theatrical whisper. "I forgot the baby might be sleeping."

Neji glanced over to where his daughter laid in her bassinet, stubbornly asleep despite the noises of shattering porcelain, their argument, and now Hanabi's loud steps. "It's all right," he told his cousin. "She seems to be very good at ignoring things."

Hanabi brightened, opening the door and stepping into the room. "Oh, it's a girl?"

"Yep!" Tenten called cheerfully from where she'd been sealing the last box into her scroll. "The ugliest girl I've ever seen. You want to hold her?"

"Yes! Why is she ugly?"

"She isn't ugly-" Neji tried to interrupt.

"She's ugly because she was born a day ago, and she still looks kind of pinched and red. Here, sit down and get settled so you can hold her."

"Okay!" Hanabi threw herself onto their rocker, her feet kicking excitedly where they dangled above the floor. "How should I hold her?"

"Like this." Neji walked over and rearranged the pillows so Hanabi's arms were propped up. "Make sure you keep her head supported in your elbow."

Hanabi nodded, her eyes fixed on Tenten has she lifted their daughter from the bassinet, murmuring gently to her as she fussed. She crossed the room and lowered her onto Hanabi's lap.

Hanabi went the stillest that Neji had ever seen her, every muscle tense as she stared with wide eyes at the baby. Their daughter stared resentfully back, her own eyes just barely open. She let out a grunt and _thwocked_ a fist against Hanabi's abdomen.

Hanabi whipped her head up with a grin. " _Ha!_ She's just like Tenten!"

Neji threw back his head and laughed as Tenten whined about how she really wasn't that violent, and they all had horribly false opinions of her.

Hanabi wasn't having it. "Didn't you once break Lee-sensei's nose?"

"We were sparring-"

"That's not what he said! He told me it was because he accidentally tore one of your scrolls!"

Tenten scowled. "He was careless!"

Even while she was yelling (very joyfully, she always liked spending time with Tenten and Lee because she could drop her carefully upkept Hyuga mask), Hanabi held carefully still. Neji took a glance at the baby, and she had actually been able to fall back asleep despite all the noise.

The _shoji_ door slid open once more, and this time Hiashi stepped through. With his presence, the other occupants of the room stilled- Hanabi guiltily, Tenten with a sort of defiance, and Neji because he wanted to see what would happen next.

"Good afternoon." Hiashi regarded them all carefully, before his gaze came to rest on the bundle in Hanabi's lap.

She noticed his attention and piped up, " _Otosama_ , do you want to see Neji-niisan's ugly baby?"

"Excuse you," Tenten said grandly. "She's my ugly baby too."

At this remark, Neji turned away with a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll make tea," he said to no one in particular.

He pulled the tea set out from where he'd insisted to Tenten that they keep it, despite _her_ insistence to pack it away. As if he wouldn't serve their guests _tea._ Behind him, he could hear Tenten chatting away at Hiashi as she hoisted their daughter out of Hanabi's arms.

"Oh, my love," Tenten called from where she was situating their daughter in Hiashi's arms. "I moved the scroll with the water spell over by the bed."

Neji stared at her. "May I ask why?"

"No."

Hanabi chirped, "Tenten-obasan, may _I_ ask why?"

"Sure."

"Tenten-obasan, why did you move the water scroll to over by the bed?"

"Because I took a nap earlier and I knew I would be thirsty when I woke up."

"Oh, okay."

Neji looked up at the small group huddled around the rocker and caught the end of the slight smile on his uncle's face. He gently hefted the baby towards his face and drew down the blanket covering her chin so he could get a clear look at her.

Hiashi noticed her eyes and blinked twice in quick succession, his only indication of surprise. "She may have the byakugan, then."

"We have rather mixed feelings on that," Neji murmured. The corners of Hiashi's mouth thinned, but he said nothing.

Next to him, Hanabi clung to the arm of the chair to peer down at the baby. With a quick glance to her father- she always tried to only show him the stoic Hyuga demeanor he expected- she grinned down at her, sticking out her tongue and crossing her eyes.

The baby didn't seem to care too much, clenching her eyes shut and letting out a yawn.

"Have you decided on a name?" Hiashi asked smoothly.

"We have a few in mind," Tenten replied. "Nothing decided yet."

"I see," Hiashi replied. "It's best to do it soon. The Elders can only be held off for so long."

Somber silence filled the room after his statement. Hanabi deflated against the chair, and Tenten's face went carefully neutral.

The tea kettle whistled, and Neji poured out four cups. Tenten took their daughter from Hiashi and placed her in her bassinet as he and Hanabi sat down for tea.

"Hui Na," Neji said abruptly.

Hiashi frowned. "Pardon?"

"We're naming her Hui Na," Neji said with finality.

Hiashi's frown deepened. "That's not very traditional."

"No," Neji said softly, meeting Tenten's tender gaze over Hiashi's head. "It's not."

* * *

 **"Hui Na" is a chinese name. basically, neji is choosing to name his child after his wife's family and culture, so OOOOOOH SNAP**


	3. Chapter Three

**uhhhh so the rating has gone up. yep, yep yep. the last three paragraphs are where there's some sexy stuff, if anyone wants to skip it.**

* * *

Lee and Gai arrived early in the morning to help them move, as well as meet Hui Na. Both of them were predictably in tears.

Tenten sighed as a particularly "youthful" punch to the air from Hui Na had the two of them clutching one another and sobbing again. Under her breath, she said to Neji, "Do we trust them with infants enough to leave them here with her, and start moving stuff ourselves…?"

Neji watched as Lee carefully stroked a finger across Hui Na's foot. "I think so."

"All right." Tenten walked towards the pair and prodded Lee in the ribs. "Hey, Neji and I are going to take the first load of scrolls over. You guys just stay here with her, okay?"

"Tenten!" Gai clutched at her hands fervently. "Your trust in us is most significant! Why, for a new mother to allow someone to watch after her most beloved bundle of youth-"

Tenten covered his mouth with her hand. "I think I get it, sensei. We're going to get to work, all right?"

Gai nodded mutely, his tears falling over her fingers. Tenten rolled her eyes and gave him a fond grin.

Neji headed towards the neat piles of scrolls on the floor, organized based on room. He gathered up all of the scrolls in the bedroom pile and started heading out. Tenten padded after him holding most of the scrolls for the kitchen.

It was a fast walk to their new set of rooms. Tenten was singing absently under her breath as they walked, swinging her arms as she did.

He eyed her cautiously. "You're going to drop the scrolls."

" _Your face_ is going to drop the scrolls."

He hummed vaguely in response, sliding open the _shoji_ that led into their rooms from the courtyard. Tenten walked into the kitchen area- it wasn't very large, more of a small stove and dining area, because the Clan frequently ate meals together that had been prepared in the main kitchens.

Neji moved past her to their new bedroom, setting down his scrolls and stopping to consider the space. After a moment of thought, he turned and walked back to Tenten.

"What do you think about you staying here with Hui Na and maybe Gai-sensei, and unpacking while Lee and I bring the rest over?"

Tenten absently rolled a scroll tighter. "Don't you want any input?"

He shrugged. "You know what I like."

"All right, if you're sure. I'll walk back with you now, then Gai and I can come over with Hui Na and her nursery stuff."

They began making their way back, Tenten a few steps ahead of him. She tilted her face up to the sun and closed her eyes slightly, drinking in the warmth. Neji was glad that their rooms were so much closer to the gardens and sparring yard now. Tenten would be sure to use both.

(And in a few years, so would Hui Na.)

Upon their arrival, they found both Gai and Lee on their hands and knees, looking down at Hui Na where she lay on a thick blanket that had been folded to form a cushion. They swiveled their heads guiltily as Neji and Tenten walked in, but at Neji's slight smile they beamed and went back to making cooing noises at the baby.

Hui Na was, per her norm, unimpressed.

Tenten grinned at the scene they made. "Gai-sensei, Lee, are you okay with splitting up, with Gai-sensei and I taking Hui Na over and setting up in the new rooms while Lee helps Neji bring it all over?"

"Of course!" Gai was instantly on his feet. "And worry not, Neji, for I will not let your youthful bride strain herself!"

"We've been married for a while, sensei, I'm not exactly a bride anymore."

"You are a bride in all of our hearts!"

Tenten sputtered. "What does that even mean?"

"Merely that you are still as radiant and splendiferous as you were on your wedding day!"

Over the sound of Tenten arguing and Gai remaining stubbornly complimentary, Neji gathered up the rest of the kitchen scrolls, then the ones for their sitting room- loosely called so, given that Tenten tended to use it as her miniature armory. A habit that she'd have to curb once Hui Na became more mobile.

Lee squatted down next to him, his teeth at the most blinding Neji had ever seen them. "What's it like to be a new father, my dear rival?" He questioned, unexpectedly serious.

Neji smiled. "Surprisingly amusing. Hui Na is already very grumpy and headstrong. It's an interesting personality on a newborn."

Lee guffawed. "HA! I can understand what you mean! Just minutes ago when I tried to give her a kiss, she farted, then punched my nose!"

Overhearing this mid argument, Tenten cackled and scooped up the baby, grinning at her. "Attagirl! Showing your uncle Lee who's boss!"

Lee, upon hearing himself described as an uncle, burst into tears, and would not be consoled until Hui Na needed her diaper changed.

* * *

Neji and Lee moved fast (whether any challenges were involved is unimportant), and had everything completely moved by lunch. Tenten and Gai had set up the nursery and most of the dining area, so they sent a runner (Lee) to the Hyuga kitchens and ate together while Hui Na napped.

After lunch, Neji and Tenten had the pleasure of watching Gai and Lee walk around with exaggerated tiptoe movements, intermittently shushing one another as they unsealed the items for Neji's work room. In all likelihood, he would end up moving things again later, but he didn't mind them taking the initiative.

Tenten made several attempts to hoist some of her larger weapons onto the wall for display, but Neji had a rational and adult discussion with her and she ended up agreeing to hold off on putting them up until they had everything else ready. Naturally she walked away from the conversation completely calmly and not sulking at all. And she also didn't throw a kunai at his head. Or groin.

* * *

Just before dusk, Neji sat on the _engawa_ with Gai, burping Hui Na as they watched Tenten and Lee do slow katas in the courtyard.

Tenten looked positively radiant, the rays of sun illuminating her skin in gold and casting her body into a silhouette. She'd let her hair down after nursing Hui Na, and it shone in the sun, trapping in the last of the light and amplifying it. She was impossible not to look at.

Not for the first time, Neji thought that she had never been meant to stay in his life for long. She'd been thrown in by pure happenstance, and then decided she wanted to stay.

Hui Na let out a burp, and he shifted her so he could wipe her mouth with a rag. She peered up at him for a moment, silver eyes glinting, before yawning drowsily and closing them again. Neji propped her back up so her head was nestled against his neck, pressing a kiss to her soft arm.

A loud, semi-stifled choking noise drew his attention to Gai, who had been watching the entire exchange. His lips trembled. Sensing an imminent meltdown, Neji quickly hissed, "She just fell asleep, sensei."

Gai let out a joyous (if tearful) whoop, stifling the noise by throwing his head against his legs. His shoulders shook with sobs, and underneath the many tears and excessive nose-blowing Neji could make out, "... student… a father… youth…"

A shout from Tenten startled them both, and they turned just in time to see her kick Lee so hard he slid back a yard and a half. He immediately let out a loud whoop and ran to her side, hoisting her in the air as they both cheered raucously.

Gai and Neji shot Hui Na a trepidatious look, but she slumbered on. Catching the disapproving frown on Neji's face, Gai hastily wiped away his own enthusiastic beam and replaced it with a comically dark glare as Tenten and Lee approached, both grinning.

"What happened to just doings katas?"

She exchanged a guilty look with Lee, who immediately blurted, "It's Tenten's fault!"

"Lee!" She smacked his arm and scowled.

"You know I cannot keep secrets! I have a naturally honest face!"

"You have the face of a _backstabber!"_

Lee let out a loud gasp and clapped his hand over his heart. "Tenten, how could you expect me to tell a lie to _my dearest rival_?"

"You're both ridiculous," Neji interrupted flatly.

Lee gasped again. "Rude!"

Tenten finally noticed Hui Na in Neji's embrace, and she instantly softened. She sat down on Neji's other side and reached around him to lightly stroke their daughter's head. The gesture brought her head close to his shoulder, and she tucked herself against him and rested her hands on his bicep.

She squeezed minutely and muttered an appreciative, " _Nice."_ Neji felt his cheeks turning pink, but tried to ignore it.

The courtyard seemed much darker all of the sudden, and as Lee took his place beside Gai the Midnight Grandeurs began to light up- similar to Morning Glories, but centuries of Hyuga magic seeping into their roots gave them looks and abilities like no other flowers. The massive Hyuga Gardens were considered to be one of Konoha's greatest treasures, if a very privately kept one.

The last non-Hyuga to enter the private areas of the gardens had been married off to a clan member. The Hyuga Clan had secrets that they would not allow to pass beyond their walls.

(Granted, the trespasser had ultimately chosen to marry into the clan, because she had fallen in love with its prodigy. She also very gleefully had premarital sex with said prodigy, after an evening spent drinking two bottles of sake in an enchanted hot spring. The prodigy in question had an enjoyable time, and they repeated their experience on numerous occasions.

Of course, now they had a baby, so it would become less of a priority, but still. Neji was very glad that Tenten had a tendency to snoop into other people's business.)

Gai sighed gustily as the Midnight Grandeurs lit up in display, speckles of blue and lavender light releasing into the heavens. "There is nothing else on earth like these flowers- truly a special sight to see."

Neji tilted his head back slightly, watching the trails of light leading up to the heavens. They streamed up faster and faster, blurring together with the stars and flickering into new constellations.

The air chilled as the day ended, so Neji stood up, still cradling Hui Na, and murmured to the others that he was going to put her to bed. Gai and Lee leapt to their feet to press soft kisses to her head and whisper loud goodnights, while Tenten stood up slowly, using the floor for support, and stroked her finger down one soft cheek.

Neji walked softly into their rooms, pausing to write a sigil in the air that enchanted the lanterns with low lighting. In the same movement, he flicked his fingers and magically slid open the door to their room.

Just in front of the bassinet by their bed, he pressed a kiss to the back of his daughter's head where she laid slumbering on his shoulder, before carefully lowering her down. She stirred minutely and screwed up her face, but quieted as he swaddled her.

Quietly, he started singing the lullaby Tenten had taught him- one of the few things she remembered from her mother and desperately wanted to cling to, to pass to their children. It was in her family's language, and she assured him his pronunciation was atrocious, but if she kept speaking it around him maybe his prodigy brain would pick it up.

Neji knew, without a doubt, that Hui Na would end up speaking the language just as rapidly and fluently as her mother.

Song drawing to a close (he appreciated music, but wasn't much of a musician himself), he silently inscribed the sigil he had developed onto the edge of the bassinet. It would link Hui Na to the semi-permanent marks that he and Tenten now had on their collarbones. If Hui Na stirred in the night they would be hear it as if she lay next to them.

He lingered for a few moments, watching his child sleep. Her face wasn't so red anymore, and now that he looked he could see bits of Tenten in her broad nose and round jaw. Her eyes she had obviously gotten from him, as well as her wide forehead and high cheekbones.

Neji left the door slightly ajar as he exited, letting the soft sounds of the night fill the room.

Tenten was leaning against the door frame, gazing out over the courtyard. He paused and watched her for a moment, taking in the curves of her silhouette as she stood with her arms crossed and feet bare, shoulder propped on the wood.

He crossed to her side and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her temple and fitting his face in the crook of her neck. She barely moved, just tilting her head a little to receive his kiss.

He smiled slightly to himself. Contrary to what he would have believed, he was far more often the initiator of romantic gestures between the two of them. Tenten certainly brought out a softer side of him, one he'd been unaware of his entire life before her.

"Gai and Lee headed home," she said casually, as if he wasn't trailing his lips along her pulse. "They told me to tell you goodnight." Likely it had been said with much tears and apologies for not saying it in person. He preferred this abridged version.

Tenten pulled out of his embrace and stretched with a yawn, before grabbing his wrist and pulling him along towards the sitting room.

"You set up the sigil, right? So we can hear if she wakes up?"

"Yes," Neji said, shifting in her grip so her hand was held in his.

She settled into a _zaisu_ and pulled out the book she had been reading, an adventurous romance that Sakura had lent to her a while ago. This was actually the fourth time Tenten had read it over the span of a year, and Neji felt it was about time to inform Sakura that she wouldn't be getting it back.

In all fairness, Sakura had a tendency to hoard the books Tenten lent to her as well. The two of them shared similar tastes in literature, except for medical studies and weapons history- two subjects that were highly boring to the other.

Neji brightened the lantern light so they could read comfortably, and pulled out the book Tenten's father had grudgingly given him about her clan's history.

It wasn't that Gang Fŭ disliked him- they actually got along quite well, despite a rough beginning (to be fair, to Gang Fŭ it seemed that Tenten had left on a quest with a man she despised, then had returned completely infatuated with him, and he with her. It wasn't unreasonable to suspect magical sabotage.)

It was just the fact that the book was going to be read by a _Hyuga_. Insufferable pricks, the lot of them.

He quickly engrossed himself in the book- it was important to him that he know this knowledge so that Hui Na could learn it- but when he glanced at Tenten she was dozing off, her chin in her hand from when she had apparently propped it on the table to watch him as he read.

Neji leaned forward and slid her book out from under her hand. She startled awake at the sensation, blinking up at him sleepily.

"Try to stay awake until after Hui Na gets fed again," he told her.

"I know," she snapped irritably. She caught his raised brows and flushed a little. "I just- whatever. Shut up."

His brows raised higher. "If you need something to help you stay awake-"

"I don't want any tea."

"That's not quite what I had in mind," he said smoothly, running his fingers over her wrist. Tenten's pulse skyrocketed, and he looked on smugly as her cheeks flushed and pupils dilated.

His self-satisfaction came to a grounding halt as Tenten swung her legs over his hips and said, "We shouldn't actually fuck yet, but I definitely want your cock in my mouth, and _your_ mouth on me."

Scandalized, he looked furtively towards the room where Hui Na was asleep, hissing "Tenten!"

"What, we can grope each other as much as we want but we can't actually talk about it? Where are you drawing this line?!"


	4. Chapter Four

The next few weeks saw a shift in Hui Na's sleeping schedule. Her long days of napping as a newborn were over, instead replaced by a fussy baby who tried her best to sleep during the day and cry all night. Neji and Tenten worked their best to keep her awake and engaged during the day, and get her to nap only after playtime.

Still, Hui Na often woke in the middle of the night and cried for hours on end, despite being fed, her diaper changed, and rocked. Tenten had begun napping when the baby was asleep, and Neji was sorely tempted to join in.

Unfortunately, Konoha's council had been reaching out to him again, trying to get him to go out and trace down Hinata. He had a feeling that Tsunade didn't really believe him when he told the Council he didn't know where she was, but she hadn't pressed him yet- which made sense, given that her apprentice had followed the Hyuga Priestess and was likely to be arrested alongside her.

They'd recently accepted that he would not pursue her, but now had begun sending him battle reports, with strong hints that they wanted him to review their strategies and work with Shikaku Nara to improve them.

In his opinion, the best option was to provide the Hyuga Priestess with the resources and manpower she needed as she struggled on the front lines to hold back the brunt of the evil magic seeping towards Konoha. Hunting her down to return was a waste of time.

Neji cast aside a sheet of paper with a sigh. He turned to look at Hui Na where she lay on a blanket, kicking her legs and staring up at the enchanted bubbles drifting idly over her head, produced by a charmed wooden tortoise that Gai had gotten for her. (Gai tended to impulsively buy gifts for Hui Na, and her still unused nursery was filling up rapidly. Neji only hoped that someone else had a baby soon, so his attention would be diverted.)

"They're very silly, Hui Na," he told her. "They still think Hinata's departure was because she betrayed Konoha, not to save it. Not even the Hyuga Clan elders believe Hinata would turn on us, and she's made many of them into enemies."

"Hnngh," said Hui Na, reaching for a bubble. She let out a shriek as it wobbled away from her hand.

"Yes," Neji mused. "The council _should_ direct more resources to bubble making. Good point."

Hui Na babbled again. He turned to face her fully, moving her blanket closer so she could see his face and stretching out his legs on either side of her. Her eyes widened, and she wriggled excitedly with a soft coo.

"I must admit," he said, leaning over her with a smile. "Your presence makes getting work done seem like a waste of time." He reached out and allowed her to swat at his finger with her hand. "There are more important things, after all." She was finally starting to get fat, with her cheeks filling in and her legs and arms developing rolls.

"She's finally cute," Tenten had told him while they stood above Hui Na's bassinet one night. He'd smacked her rear in response, which made her laugh. (Hui Na had stirred at the noise, and they'd both frozen, waiting with bated breath until she fell back asleep. "Oh thank kami," Tenten sighed, while he flopped his head on her shoulder with an exhausted groan.)

Hui Na was getting talkative too, constantly entertaining herself with babbling and shrieks. According to the midwife, she was progressing physical skills at a faster rate than most babies who matched her physical age, which came as no surprise to Neji or Tenten.

"You want to spend some time on your tummy again, baby?" Neji asked Hui Na. "You seem to like it more and more each time." She had stopped paying attention to him again, trying her best to focus on another bubble.

Carefully, he slid his hands under her back and lifted her, then shifted her in his grip and set her back down on her tummy. She squealed- a little disappointedly, if he were to interpret it- and did her best to raise her head. They never kept her flipped like this for long, because it was a tough workout for her, but she'd been getting better at moving each time.

Now, she reached determinedly for the edge of her blanket, head wobbling up and down as she grunted with effort. He watched, a little amused. Hui Na did her best to grab the blanket edge, but upon realizing it was out of her reach and she couldn't move to get it, let out a series of screams.

It wasn't exactly crying, but she was certainly angry about it.

"My goodness!" Tenten yelled from the courtyard. "What on earth has that little girl so upset?"

"Her own lack of physical ability." Neji called back. He heard Tenten laugh, and a few moments later her footsteps padded down the hall. She entered the study with a grin, and watched as Hui Na screamed at the blanket to move closer. (The blanket dutifully ignored her.)

"Oh, you poor thing," Tenten chuckled, shifting down on her knees to press a kiss to Hui Na's cheek. "You desires unfortunately outpace your body's strength. Such is your tragic life."

Hui Na set her head down on the ground, her eyelashes fluttering closed. "I don't think so," Neji told her, moving her onto her back again. "We'd like you awake for another quarter hour, please." Upon seeing his face, and Tenten's next to his, Hui Na perked up again. She breathed excitedly and waved her arms, her eyes taking them in.

Tenten laughed in utter happiness. "Are you so excited to see us? Do you recognize your mama and baba?"

Hui Na let out a sweet baby noise, eyes glued to Tenten's face. Tenten leaned in and made exaggerated chomping noises as she gently pretend to bite at Hui Na's arms and hands.

Neji watched silently, keeping back a laugh. Tenten got very silly over her baby- but then again, so did he.

Tenten, seemingly aware of the scene she was making, turned to look at him with a grin. "How's the paperwork going?" she asked, rotating Hui Na to face her.

The baby let out an indignant screech at the movement, to which Tenten stuck out her tongue at her. "Tough luck, kiddo," she said cheerfully. "Unlike _some_ people, I've got the fine motor skills to move things around as much as I want to- and that means you!"

She turned back to him. "Well, anyway. How's work?"

"It's not going very well," Neji replied. He watched as Hui Na became engrossed by a particularly colorful bubble. "I have a very cute distraction, and she's much more interesting than any battle report."

"Mm, can't argue with you there." Tenten grabbed Hui Na' hands in her own and tapped them together rhythmically. "Even if she's a little stinky and maybe needs a diaper change."

"I was talking about my lovely wife, actually."

"Your- ugh, Neji."

* * *

Hui Na was up all night for an entire week, sobbing desperately between bouts of exhaustion-induced sleep. The midwives and Healers could only say that everything was fine physically and magically, and that it was something that she needed to work out.

Both of them were struggling as well- it was hard to hear her cry all night, and not be able to help her. They were both very frayed, napping whenever they could and gratefully accepting Hiashi's offer to take care of Hui Na every once in a while during the day.

Naturally, they spent these few hours of reprieve snoring away in their bed. (Well- Tenten snored, but Neji was a good husband and pretended it was both of them.)

Neji woke up from a long nap to sun streaming into their room and Tenten's back tucked against his side. He pulled away gently and swung his feet over the edge of the bed, sitting there for a moment and allowing wakefulness to wash over him.

He stood up and stretched his arms over his head, rolling his shoulders and feeling part of his hair fall across his shoulder blades. It hung in a mess across his back and over his chest- he'd slept fitfully in the heat, before stirring himself long enough to shuck his shirt and pants across the room and falling back asleep.

He'd slept much better after that, but now had the added trouble of walking around in the nude until he found where he'd put his clothes- it was best not to pick up Hui Na from Hiashi's rooms as he was now, after all.

After half a minute of looking, he found his pants resting haphazardly on their dresser and pulled them on, then continued his idle search for his shirt. He interlocked his fingers behind his head and stretched his shoulders again as he looked- he must have slept in a strange position, because the muscles felt sore in an odd way.

He found a shirt (not the same one he'd been wearing earlier- who knows where it went) and slipped it on. Behind him, Tenten muttered, "Drat."

He turned his head to look at her out of the corner of his eye as he drew the fabric over his chest. She was lying across the bed, chin propped in her hands as she shamelessly stared at him.

She didn't even bother to meet his gaze, instead keeping her eyes fixed on his back and- a lower area. "Since when do you sleep naked?" she asked, slowly raking in his form.

He turned back to the front with a smirk (and a bit of a blush), slowly tying the ends of his shirt together. "It's hot."

"And yet somehow I'm still fully dressed."

He turned to face her fully, still smirking. "Perhaps you shouldn't be. Or perhaps you could learn to keep your eyes to yourself, and stop lusting after innocent men trying to dress."

" _Innocent?_ Oh, there's nothing innocent about how you're built, honey. I could watch you stretch like that for _hours_."

It seemed that Neji had inadvertently put on a bit of a show for his wife.

He crossed the room in a few strides and raised her chin in his hand to press a scorching kiss to her mouth. She moaned against his lips, but unusually did not reach out to reciprocate. She broke away from him with a small exhale, her lips a puckered red.

"You have to go get the baby," she whispered breathlessly.

He raised her chin even higher so she was craning her neck to look at him, back arched and toes curling. Her pupils were blown wide, and there was tension trembling in every line of her body.

"We have time," he murmured, and descended.

* * *

Hui Na was very excited to see him again, wiggling the hardest Neji had ever seen her as he carried her back to their rooms in a sling.

She was being entertained by Hanabi when Neji had arrived to pick her up, while Hiashi watched on carefully, but at the sound of Neji's voice she had let out a loud series of shrieks and didn't stop until his face came into her view.

Hiashi had watched their interaction with something close to parental pride in his gaze. As Hanabi madly ran around gathering up the plethora of baby gear and toys that had scattered themselves around the room, Hiashi had filled him in on how the day had progressed.

Apparently, Hui Na ha been utterly charming, because Hiashi nearly gushed over her- in his own refined way, of course. To hear him speak of it, she'd been an absolute angel.

She seemingly liked to save her attitude for her parents, Neji thought to himself as she continued to do her best to hit him in the windpipe.

"You're a little bit mischievous aren't you, little bird?" The endearment spilled from his lips without a second thought. He turned down the last hallway towards their rooms and continued his lecture, "Well, I unfortunately won't be fooled by some cute babbling and big eyes." He pushed open the main door to their rooms and entered, setting aside the scrolls with the baby supplies.

"I'm your baba, Hui Na, which means that you'll never be able to fool me." He grinned down at her.

Hui Na stared at him with wide eyes, then smiled back.

* * *

Unfortunately, excuses along the lines of "my daughter has just started smiling, and I'd rather stay home and make funny faces at her" did not get a person out of being called to clan meetings.

Neji returned from the most recent meeting and undid his headband with a sigh, slowly massaging at the base of his neck. The meeting had been very standard for the Hyuga- a quick conference that summed up the internal affairs of the clan within the past few months.

It hadn't been all that normal for _him_ , however, because his presence at the meeting indicated to the rest of the clan that he and Tenten would likely be joining them all again soon, and bringing their daughter out in public officially.

He'd been crowded by well-wishers once the meeting had ended, some of them sincere and others doing it for the sake of clan expectations. He'd treated them all respectfully enough, but excused himself as quickly as possible and all but sprinted back to their rooms.

He'd heard Hui Na stirring a few times, thanks to the sigil, but she'd seemed calm enough. Tenten was about to put her down for a nap when he'd left, so she'd been a little fussy as he kissed her goodbye. She'd had another tough few days. Thankfully she was sleeping better at night, but she'd started hating being swaddled or carried in a sling- anything that restricted her movement.

Tenten was reading away in the sitting room when he entered, and she looked up and smiled at him as he entered. "How'd it go?" She asked, pitching her voice low.

"Well enough," he responded quietly as he settled down next to her. "We'll have to present Hui Na fairly soon, I think, but that's not any different than what we were expecting." Tenten hummed in understanding, and Neji continued, "Did Hui Na go down all right? I heard her making noises, a few times."

"Yes, she did fine once I stopped trying to swaddle her. It's the oddest thing, she was fine with it last week."

Neji brushed his lips against her head. "Weird kid."

"Yeah, but at least she's cute."

* * *

After an accidental nap, Neji woke blearily from where he and Tenten were stretched out on the floor of the sitting room. He could hear Hui Na stirring in her room, but she hadn't started crying yet. It was still about time for her nap to end, so he stood to get her.

"Hello, little bird," he called softly as he entered the room. "Ready to get up?" It was still dark but he could just see her shape against her blankets. He paused to write a sigil in the air, and as the light lifted he turned his gaze to his daughter.

His eyes fell on the rotund shape of a dhole puppy, and she wiggled excitedly at him as she stumbled around her bassinet. Her eyes, when they met his, were as silver as his own.

He sighed. "Oh, Hui Na."

His daughter- for it was indeed her- barked.

* * *

Tenten thought the whole thing was hilarious. When he emerged from the bedroom, face flat as he held a squirming puppy in his arms, she'd stared at him with her eyes wide. Before long, however, short bursts of laughter came from her mouth, and she doubled over, watching Hui Na wobble around the room.

Hui Na, for her part, thought this was the best thing that had ever happened- suddenly she could move around in ways that she'd only dreamed of! She tripped and stumbled her way around the sitting room, crawling into their laps and nuzzling them before tearing away again.

Eventually, she tired herself out and settled next to Tenten, whining a little. Tenten wiped away a tear and finally said, "Oh my girl- what have you gotten up to?" Hui Na whined louder and pawed at Tenten's leg.

An idea occurred to Neji. "We normally feed her right after her naps- do you think she's hungry?"

"Oh, probably." Tenten paused to press a kiss to Hui Na's fuzzy head, then transformed into her own form as a dhole.

Hui Na startled back across the room, but then cautiously approached Tenten again. She abruptly seemed to recognize her and raced madly towards her, nuzzling at her until Tenten lay on her side.

Watching his wife nurse his daughter, both of them dholes, Neji remarked to no one in particular, "This is… odd."

* * *

Tenten returned to human form after feeding, but Hui Na either didn't know how or didn't want to- more likely the latter, Neji thought. Dhole puppies could move much more than human babies could move at the same age. Hui Na had finally attained the movement and freedom she'd been wanting, and refused to give it up.

After a brief discussion on the best course of action, Tenten resumed her own form and she and Hui Na raced across the courtyards, playing together as Neji sent a message to Tenten's father- the leader of her clan, an experienced shifter himself, and in all likelihood an expert in the situation, given that Tenten had discovered her own shifting form as a toddler.

Plus, it was about time he came to visit his granddaughter.


	5. Chapter Five

Gang Fŭ arrived at the Hyuga Complex less than a week later, glowering his way through the formalities and stomping after Hiashi as he brought him to where their new rooms were located.

Tenten opened the door for them both, using one foot to casually keep Hui Na from rushing out the door. She'd gotten out the other day and raced madly down the hallway as they chased her, tail wagging the whole time. Now she seemed to be under the assumption that it was a game.

"Hello, Hiashi-sama. Hey Dad."

"This is her, then?" Gang Fŭ asked gruffly.

"I'll leave you to it," Hiashi murmured. He bowed slightly and left.

"Yeah, this is Hui Na. She's um. Well, you see how she is."

"Has she turned back human at all since she first shifted?"

"Damn, dad, you get right down to business. Don't you want to sit down or anything? I can make tea."

"We both know you can't make tea for shit, girl. If Neji makes it, I'll drink some."

"Both of you stop swearing around the baby." Neji interjected, entering the room and scooping up Hui Na when she ran to greet him.

"She's a puppy," they said in unison, immediately turning to give each other shit-eating grins.

Gang Fŭ fell back into his normal expression- a heavy frown, or perhaps a light scowl. In any case, he did not look friendly as he walked to Hui Na's side and stared down at her. Hui Na went still in Neji's arms, then let out a tiny growl that she probably meant to be much more intimidating.

"Huh," said Gang Fŭ. "Cute."

* * *

They stuck Hui Na in the playpen that Gai had gotten them (it'd gotten a lot of use recently) and had lunch. Gang Fŭ asked a lot of questions about Hui Na's magical abilities, and seemed satisfied that so far it has just been the shifting.

Hui Na sat at the very end of the playpen and pressed herself against it, whining. "Turn back to your human form and you can sit with us, kidlet," Tenten told her.

It'd been a very strange week. They'd decided that they would keep Hui Na's schedule as much the same as possible, with exceptions for the areas that would require change- hence the playpen, to stop a previously immobile infant from wobbling her way around the entire Complex. Tenten also shifted in order to nurse, and sometimes to play with Hui Na.

Neji had realized that Hui Na liked playing fetch, and found it endlessly amusing. Tenten tried to tell him off for it, which made him ask if _she_ would play fetch when she shifted too. She stopped speaking to him for an hour and a half, which he took as a yes.

Hui Na had changed back exactly once, and they thought it was mostly on accident. They'd been trying to put her in her playpen, and after much effort they'd succeeded. She'd sat and whined for nearly ten minutes, before suddenly shifting back into her human form, naked as the day she was born.

They'd all stared at each other, startled, before Hui Na slowly tipped over backwards. Seconds later she was a dhole again, and was sulky for the remainder of the day.

Despite their best efforts, they hadn't been able to persuade her to shift again.

Gang Fŭ sat stoically as they explained it all to him, casting a thoughtful eye over Hui Na now and then. Finally he muttered, "Huh. Smart kid to figure it out at this age."

Tenten grinned proudly. "Yep. So what do we do now?"

Gang Fŭ knocked back the rest of his tea and placed his cup back down on the saucer. "Well, all things considered it's an easy enough situation. She's too young to control her magic, so you've got to make sure she won't keep shifting while an expert isn't around to monitor the situation.

"In this case, Tenten being her mother and all-" Tenten threw a quick glance at Hui Na with a warm smile- "She's the best one to be in charge when Hui Na _does_ shift, once she's older and can be trained."

Neji nodded in understanding, but Tenten frowned a little. "Not to protest or anything, but is motherhood a strong enough reason for something like that?"

"She gets her shapeshifting magic from your clan, and you're one of the best shifters in all of Konoha. You know how to teach her better than anyone else," Neji said firmly, catching her hand in his and bringing it to his lips.

Gang Fŭ flicked tea droplets at them. "Knock that off, kids. You want your baby human again or not? Let's get started."

* * *

Gang Fŭ's solution was to bind in Hui Na's shifting magic with that of Tenten's- so she could only shift when her mother allowed her to, and Tenten could make her change back on her own. (They fully expected her to be uncooperative about taking back her human form, and planned accordingly.)

Hui Na now sat in Neji's lap, very unhappy to be there, as Gang Fŭ finished up writing the seals on the ground around them. Tenten sat across from them, her torso completely bare and painted with the seals that would bind Hui Na's shifting magic to her. (While Gang Fŭ would have done it himself, it was more comfortable for all of them when Neji did it.)

The seals on the ground would act as the catalyst and then director of Hui Na's magic, so they could avoid painting anything on her. They also, at Neji's insistence, had several safeguards to protect both Tenten and their daughter. It wasn't that Neji doubted Gang Fŭ's plan or abilities, it was that Hui Na's magic could react unpredictably.

"Right then," Gang Fŭ stood up with a grunt and surveyed his work. "Looks good to me. Tenten?"

She scanned the seals with a critical eye, then nodded. "Yep."

"Great." Gang Fŭ nicked his thumb with his canine, and Tenten followed his lead. With an unhappy sigh- he already felt terrible about what he was about to do- Neji lifted up Hui Na's paw and made a slight incision on the pad, pushing the blood up to the surface even as she yelped in pain.

Neji hastily smeared the blood on the small seal in front of them as Gang Fŭ and Tenten did the same. With a quick hand sign from Tenten, the air in the room shifted, and a golden and blue light seeped from Hui Na and into the seal.

Gang Fŭ snapped, "No, no- that's too much! Just the golden light, the rest is Hyuga magic!" Tenten gritted her teeth and scrawled another seal with her own blood. The light halted, then split- the golden light continued its rush towards Tenten, and the blue light receded back to Hui Na.

A few moments later, it was over. Tenten was sitting alone, the seals faded from her skin and the floor. Neji was holding a naked Hui Na as she cried in his arms, back in her human form. A bit of blood still seeped from her palm.

Neji hastily stood up and began rocking her in his arms, softly shushing her and healing the cut with a quick sigil as Gang Fŭ checked on Tenten. She stood up, a little wobbly, and closed her eyes in concentration.

"It's there," she confirmed. "I can feel it, and how to direct it. Hui Na is the only one who can really control it, but I have to let her acces it first… it's like opening a door."

"Good, it worked," Gang Fŭ grunted. "Put on your shirt."

* * *

Hui Na was exhausted from the ordeal, and soon cried herself to sleep. Gang Fŭ seemed content to hold her the entire nap- not that the man would ever say it- so Neji and Tenten started setting up the still untouched guest room. In their hurry to move in, and then to keep Hui Na from singlehandedly overwhelming the Compound as a dhole, they'd neglected to set it up.

Fortunately, it was a simple matter of unsealing some scrolls and then arranging the furniture and decorations- they had it ready in a half hour.

Gang Fŭ was sitting with Hui Na in his arms, both glowering at the other in what Neji had come to understand was a friendly way. They turned to look at Neji as he entered, and Hui Na let out a gurgle and reached out an arm towards him.

Gang Fŭ handed her off, and Neji lifted her gently so her head rested on his shoulder. "The guest room is set up," he told Gang Fŭ.

"Good," he muttered. "I'm headed to bed then. I'm not as young as I used to be." He clapped Neji on his baby-free shoulder and headed past him into the hallway. Neji heard him have a brief conversation with Tenten in their clan's language, then his footsteps faded as a door slid closed.

Tenten came into the room moments later, eyes drooping. She walked towards them, and after a moment he was able to free an arm without jostling Hui Na and held it out to Tenten. She stepped into his embrace with a sigh, circling her arms around his waist and leaning her head on his unoccupied shoulder.

After a moment of quiet, she murmured, "You know, I've tried loads of times to get her to sleep like that on my shoulder and she just never goes for it."

"I always do it when she's exhausted. It's not that she likes it, she just doesn't have a choice."

Tenten chuckled. "Let's go to bed. I think we're all tuckered out."

"Mm." Neji untangled himself from the embrace and set off towards the bedroom. "We get to put a human baby to sleep tonight for a change."

"We live very exciting lives," Tenten agreed. She took Hui Na from him and set her in the bassinet, humming her mother's song as she did. Neji pulled out both of their sleeping clothes from the dresser, laying Tenten's on the bed as he put his on.

Tenten leaned down and pressed one last kiss to Hui Na's head before straightening and beginning to put on her sleeping clothes. Once she was finished, she sat in front of the mirror and began taking down her hair.

Neji went to her side immediately, gently pushing her hands aside as he started undoing her braid. She didn't say anything, but when he looked at her reflection in the mirror she was smiling down at the wood grain, a soft blush on her features.

He picked up the brush and started detangling the edges of her hair, working his way up to the top of her head. He continued brushing even after the knots were gone, running the brush in long strokes down her hair. Tenten's eyes were closed and she leaned into his hands. After a moment she murmured, "You sap."

He kissed the top of her head, setting aside the brush. "I love you."

"I love you too, you sap."

* * *

Gang Fŭ headed out two days later, after spending his time growling at Hui Na (she'd started growling when she was unhappy, and they all found it hilariously cute) and talking at her in his clan's language. She warmed up to him fast- the two were more alike than Tenten cared to admit. It seemed the two of them could sit and be grouchy with each other for hours on end.

Hui Na was very grumpy to be back in her human form, and rather than dealing with it, Neji and Tenten generously chose to allow Gang Fŭ to take care of her. It wasn't as though he would want to explore Konoha or the Hyuga Compound anyway; he preferred to avoid as much human contact as possible.

So Neji and Tenten went out to Konoha together for the first time since Hui Na had been born. Tenten looked beautiful- she was wearing one of her scarlet red _qipao_ , and her hair was up in an intricate bun. She'd even put on lip color, which she hardly ever did.

If Neji arrived home that evening with it smeared over his mouth and neck, Gang Fŭ was kind enough not to mention anything. They'd done their best to wipe it off, so hopefully he couldn't even tell.

He probably could- he was a sharp-minded man. (Well, they had a child, it wasn't as though he thought they never touched each other.)

The day of Gang Fŭ's departure, they had a quiet breakfast at home while Hui Na slept in, then played with her for a few hours. Tenten let her shift into a dhole, and then Gang Fŭ shapeshifted into his own form- a dark gray wolf. Hui Na exploded into movement at the sight, running as fast as she could (which admittedly wasn't very fast) in circles around him, barking and crashing into his legs.

He growled at her, and she growled joyfully back.

She did her best to tackle him, which did not stir him in the least. Gang Fŭ flopped to the ground, and she immediately leapt onto his head, biting at his ears and wagging her tail furiously. He tolerated it for a few moments, before shaking her off and standing back up.

He shifted back to his human form, arms crossed and staring down at Hui Na as she kept barking at him. "You won't get too far like that, girlie."

Tenten flexed her hands, and a few moments later Hui Na reluctantly turned back into a human. She laid on her belly and stared at them with an unimpressed look, her arms propping up her head.

Tenten smiled and went to pick her up, swinging her a little in her arms and blowing a loud raspberry on her cheek. Hui Na screeched and grinned wildly, raising her fat little hands to _thwap_ onto Tenten's face. "All right, baby. Let's get your grandpa out the door, hm?"

"Don't call me that," Gang Fŭ grunted. "Makes me feel old."

Tenten rolled her eyes. "What should she call you, then?"

"She won't call me anything. She can't even talk."

"Dad-"

"We'll figure it out when the times comes."

"Fine." Tenten rolled her eyes. "You said you wanted to head out early right? You got all of your shit?"

" _Tenten,"_ Neji interjected firmly from where he was seated drinking tea and reading a letter Hinata had sent him.

"Uh, your stuff?"

"Yeah," Gang Fŭ said. "You don't need to see me off or anything-"

"We will, though," Tenten said cheerfully. "Let's go, Hui Na!" She headed to the front door, cooing in baby talk to Hui Na. Neji and Gang Fŭ followed, carrying the few scrolls that carried Gang Fŭ's items.

Just outside the gates of Konoha, Tenten paused to buss her father on his cheek. "Thanks for coming by, dad. I'm glad you got to meet her."

"Eh, she's a good kid," Gang Fŭ said, rubbing first Hui Na's head, then Tenten's. "Good luck with her when she starts crawling, though."

Tenten and Neji both snapped their gaze to Hui Na warily. She was staring up at the trees, eyes wide.

"We have some time. Hopefully." Neji said.

Gang Fŭ grinned. "Sure, but Tenten aged from a newborn to a toddler in less than eight months."

Hui Na gurgled happily.

* * *

 **i clarified this on ao3, but if you're just reading it here then you should know that aging works differently in this au. People age at different paces than each other, and can go for very long periods of time without aging at all. For example, hanabi is physically about six, but technically is well over two hundred years old. When Gang Fŭ says Tenten aged fast, he means she was a baby and then moved into the equivalent of a three-year-old in less than a year.**

 **Also, this is the end! I may end up doing an epilogue thing, but right now i'm pretty content with it here. If people seem to want more, i'll write something.**


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